Speakeasy Theaters

Speakeasy Theaters was an independent movie theater operator. Closed in 2009, they once operated two theaters, the Parkway theater on Park Boulevard in Oakland, California and the Cerrito on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, California. Both theaters showed late first-run movies (films still in release that have gotten cheaper to exhibit) and various special event programs in a casual, living-room-like setting. Due to the serving of beer and wine, attendance at most films was restricted to age 21 and over; weekend matinees and some special events were open to people of all ages.

On March 22, 2009, the Parkway theater went out of business. In 2010, new investors announced the Parkway would reopen, as the New Parkway, at a different location, as a similar venue.[1][2][3] It opened at its new location in December 2012.[4]

The Cerrito also closed May 18, 2009, and reopened a few months later under new ownership as the Rialto Cinemas Cerrito.[5][6]

  1. ^ "The Return of the Parkway: Oakland Theater Tries to Revive Tradition". KQED. November 16, 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Grady was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Parkway Theater to Reopen Next Year on Park Blvd. [Oakland, CA]", Theatre Historical Society of America, November 24, 2010
  4. ^ "Night Owl: Oakland's New Parkway theater picks up where the speak-easy left off", San Jose Mercury News, January 11, 2013
  5. ^ Rialta Cinemas Cerrito website. "Who is Rialto Cinemas?". Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  6. ^ Treadway, Chris (June 4, 2009). "Four operators want to take over Cerrito Speakeasy Theater". West County Times, cited at InsideBayArea.com. Retrieved 14 January 2013.